Why We're Moving To Italy (And Why It Has Nothing To Do With The Food)
- Laura Rodriguez
- Jun 2
- 7 min read
A few days ago, we finally announced on social media something we've been keeping private for years.
Our family is moving to Italy.
And the response has been incredible.
We've received so many messages, questions, and words of encouragement.
But we've also noticed that many people are making assumptions about why we're doing this.
The biggest assumption?
That we're moving because the food is healthier in Europe.
Today I want to talk about that.
Because the truth is much more nuanced.
And honestly, this move has very little to do with food.
Now before I go any further, let me say this:
I love Italy.
Italy feels like home to me in a way that's difficult to explain.
I studied abroad there in college and always thought I would retire there.
But after having taken my family there a couple times recently, I found myself not wanting to leave and then constantly thinking about when we could go back next.
For a long time, though, this dream felt impossible.
👉🏽 The visa requirements are intense.
👉🏽 Having to rent or buy a house before being able to even apply for the visa...
👉🏽 Having to sell our house and everything in it before even knowing whether or not we'll get approved for the visa...
👉🏽 And then dealing with Italian tax laws on our income and laws about how we can homeschool our daughter...
It has been a lot to learn and every step along the way we would think to ourselves...
"Maybe it'd be easier if we just didn't do this."
But finally...
After years of talking about it, planning for it, researching it, going back and forth about the logistics of everything involved...we reached a point where we realized something:
Life is too short to wait. It's time to just go for it.
So we decided to come up with a plan that felt easier for all of us and we are scheduled to leave in January of 2027.
But here's what I want people to understand.
We are not moving because we think Europe is some magical health utopia where we can suddenly eat whatever we want.
As someone who has spent years helping people heal from autoimmune disease, I don't believe health is that simple.
I still believe there is a lot of personal responsibility involved no matter where you live.
You still have to make food choices that agree with YOUR body.
You still have to read ingredient labels at the grocery store.
You still have to understand what your body tolerates and what it doesn't so you don't over indulge and end up in a flare.
You still have to pay attention to it all.
PLUS!
When it comes to autoimmune healing, food is only one piece of the puzzle.
One thing I've noticed over the years is that people will often travel abroad and tell me:
"I was able to eat gluten there."
"I ate dairy and felt fine."
And some of that does come down to differences in farming practices, food processing, ingredient quality, and regulations.
But there is something else very important happening too.
When you're on vacation, you're usually:
Walking more.
Sleeping more.
Laughing more.
Spending more time outdoors.
Eating meals more slowly.
Sitting around a table with people you enjoy.
Seeing beautiful things.
Experiencing novelty.
Feeling less pressure.
Living in a more relaxed state.
You're spending less time in fight-or-flight and more time in rest-and-digest.
And that matters.
A lot.
Because health isn't just about what goes into your mouth.
It's also about what your nervous system experiences every single day.
That's one of the biggest lessons I've learned from my own autoimmune journey.
Food matters.
Absolutely.
But stress matters too.
Community matters.
Purpose matters.
Joy matters.
Fun matters.
Adventure matters.
And that realization is a big part of why we're making this move.
When people ask why we're moving to Italy, my answer usually comes down to three things.
First, slower living.
We've spent years building businesses, remodeling our home, growing our own food, raising our daughter, homeschooling our daughter, and just in general: working very, very hard non-stop.
We're grateful for all of it.
But we've also realized that we don't want our lives to be defined by constant hustle.
We want more margin.
More time together.
More flexibility.
More room to enjoy ordinary days.
Second, healthier living.
Not healthier because "the gluten is different over there".
Healthier because of lifestyle.
More walking.
Less driving.
More opportunities to gather with people.
More opportunities to spend time outdoors.
More opportunities to connect with neighbors and community.
More opportunities to regulate our nervous systems instead of constantly rushing from one obligation to the next.
And third?
Adventure.
Honestly, we're ready for a new chapter.
We've lived in the same place for a 12 years.
We've built a beautiful life here.
But somewhere along the way we realized we were craving more novelty.
More experiences.
More growth.
More stories.
Not because our life is bad.
But because we want to keep expanding it.
And that's really what this move is about.
Not escaping our lives.
Creating a life that feels more aligned with the future we're trying to build.
Now, before I wrap up, I want to address one final thing.
Moving to Italy is not going to magically solve all of our problems.
I don't believe that.
Every place has challenges.
Every country has tradeoffs.
Every lifestyle comes with sacrifices.
We're leaving behind people we love.
We're leaving behind familiarity.
We're leaving behind comfort.
This is not a decision we're making lightly.
But we're making it intentionally.
Because sometimes growth requires uncertainty.
And sometimes the life you're hoping for exists on the other side of a leap of faith.
So what does our actual plan look like?
Because no, we're not simply packing up, buying a villa in Tuscany, and magically riding off into the sunset.
The reality is much more complicated than that.
We were all set to put a deposit down and pay all the fees to have a very helpful rental company take care of all the paperwork to secure us a 24-month lease starting in January so we could apply for the Digital Nomad Visa (which honestly is a big long process I could do a whole separate post about).
Then we learned that yes, while homeschooling IS legal in Italy (something we had learned months prior), there are strict rules about what you can teach your kids from home and all students have to take a standardized test every June in order to pass on to the next grade...
IN ITALIAN.
If our daughter was younger, this would not be a problem. Because she could absolutely be thrust into an Italian immersion classroom and learn quickly.
But she's in 6th grade.
Which means here tests will be in 6th grade vocabulary about 6th grade subjects.
It's just too much.
For her and for us.
And I'm constantly reminded of my cousin who lives in Rome who said her son is still suffering with PTSD from enrolling in a French immersion school when he was like 6 years old.
So I'm really not trying to give my kid PTSD.
And look. I'm not saying it's impossible.
Because I have spoken with other families who are doing it. But I've done soooo much work on healing my nervous system over the last couple of years that I'm actually ready for a slower, softer, less difficult life if I'm being completely honest.
So for this reason, we have decided to float the first 1 1/2 - 2 years.
We'll be doing what's called the "Schengen Shuffle" for as long as we can tolerate it (LOL) which is where you're allowed to be inside any countries in the Schengen Zone for up to 90 days in a 180 day period, and then you have to be outside of the Schengen Zone for another 90 days.
And back and forth you go.
We have a list of countries we are interested in traveling to and we are going to make a home base in one of them so we can start a business and establish residency in Europe.
Which will allow us to do 2 things:
1.) Legally work in Europe
(Because you're not supposed to work when you're traveling without a visa)
2.) Apply for the Digital Nomad Visa once we are ready to live and reside in Italy full-time
(Because you have to apply for the visa from your place of residency. You can't do it as a traveler. They take your passport for months so you have to be residing somewhere.)
So technically...
Yes. We are "moving" to Italy. We'll live in Italy for 6 months out of the year.
And we'll live somewhere else the other 6 months of the year. Plus, we'll hopefully travel in between. I have friends in England who I haven't seen in almost 20 years and I can't wait to meet their kids... And like I said earlier.... We have a whole list of places we want to see, so hopefully we'll be able to squeeze in some adventure along the way too!
And then... After a year or two, once our daughter's Italian language skills have improved, and we've found our new forever home, we'll apply for the Digital Nomad Visa from our new place of residency!
The coolest things we've learned about schooling in Italy is that kids actually get to decide whether they want to stay in high school or enter the work force at the age of 16.
So by the time we settle in Italy, Rue will only have a couple years of studying the standard Italian curriculum and taking the yearly exams in Italian.
And that feels really good with my nervous system.
I know this sounds absolutely crazy...
But for right now, it feels really good.
And we're very excited.
Now, I know some of you may be wondering what this means for the business.
The good news is that I'm not going anywhere.
While I'll eventually be retiring my in-home personal chef services here in Tennessee, I'll be training someone to replace me so any/all of my clients that want to continue service in my absence - absolutely can!
And I'll still be working with clients virtually.
In fact, in addition to my group course and coaching program, I've added a whole list of 1:1 virtual services to my website.
Including:
1:1 virtual cooking classes
Pantry makeovers
Custom meal plans
12-week autoimmune wellness coaching
And 1:1 consultations
So I can continue to help you use food as medicine no matter where in the world you live.
And honestly, one of the things I'm most excited about is being able to host wellness retreats in Italy!
Because if there's one thing I've learned over the years, it's that healing isn't just about food.
👉🏽 It's about slowing down.
👉🏽 Connecting with people.
👉🏽 Sharing meals.
👉🏽 Experiencing joy.
👉🏽 Regulating your nervous system.
👉🏽 Creating a life that actually supports your health.
And I can't think of a better place to help you do that than our new future home.
So while my address may be changing, my mission isn't.
I'm still here.
I'll just be helping you from a different time zone.
So...
I hope you'll come along for the ride with us.
If you have any questions at all...
xo,
Laura
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